Porsche Likely To Offer Mission E With A Wide Range Of Horsepower Outputs

26.3K

Views

You didn’t think a German automaker was going to stop exploding its model lineups when building electric cars did you?

The latest eco friendly sub brands from Germany’s automakers signify that big changes are coming to the auto industry, but don’t expect electrons and supercharging stations to strip Deutschland of it’s practice of catering to every possible niche with an exploded array of options for each model. While Mercedes’ EQ, BMW’s i, and Audi’s e-tron have yet to gain traction, we’ve caught wind of the impending continuation of Germany’s thanks to what Porsche chairman Oliver Blume has revealed about the Mission E to Autocar.

Unless opting for the latest and greatest Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, Porsche’s sedan can be spec’d within the same range as the Tesla Model S, but if crossovers like the Macan were any indication of Porsche’s direction, the automaker wants to cater to those a bit lower on the financial spectrum. As such the new Mission E will be priced a tier lower than the Panamera in hopes that it can encroach on Tesla’s share of the market. And like the Model S, it could come with a form of Autopilot and a swath of power output options to suit every taste, with horsepower upgrades potentially being offered with over-the-air updates that a user could purchase. “It will be possible to work with over-the-air options,” said Blume.

“It isn’t decided yet, but it could be possible to charge up with more power. For example, when you have 400bhp, it could be possible to upgrade to 450bhp.” This sounds eerily close to Tesla’s way of doing things, but Porsche hopes to wield the power of German engineering to give it a leg up on the American automaker, that is if the design, quality, and price doesn’t render the Model S irrelevant already. “The Mission E will sit in the segment below the Panamera. It will offer a 500km (311 mile) electric range, with a 15 minute charge time,” claimed Blume. Drag strip fiends will find these sorts of charge times attractive because it means less time spent charging between races.

The Mission E will be more than capable of beating some impressive gas-powered competitors as well with high horsepower models slated to hit 60 mph from a standstill in 3.5 seconds, although knowing Porsche’s potential this could be a conservative estimate. Let’s hope for the best and let Tesla plan for the worst with a rebuttal in the form of a refreshed Model S.